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Cairns Arena plans rink rebuild; council approves lease-extension to help finance work
Summary
Council approved a consent-agenda item to extend the Cairns Arena lease term to assist amortizing a loan for a roughly $900,000 rink-2 infrastructure replacement; managers said the rink will close for about three months beginning in early April.
The City Council approved a consent-agenda item March 17 that extends the term of the Cairns Arena lease to allow the facility to amortize a loan for a major rink renovation, and facility managers said the work will take the second rink offline for several months.
Chris Cooper, identified at the meeting as a co-manager at Cairns Arena, said the work will replace the floor and piping under Rink 2 after a heating-system failure. “Rink 2 will be shut down…about 3 months to do the project. It’s about $900,000 for the project,” Cooper said during the council’s discussion of the consent agenda. He later clarified a target reopening date of about July 12.
City staff explained the lease amendment extends the current agreement’s amortization period to help secure financing for the work. City Manager Jesse Baker told the council the proposed extension adds 10 years so the arena can amortize the loan over a longer term; staff described the measure as an administrative amendment to facilitate financing.
The council approved the consent agenda, which included the Cairns Arena lease-extension memorandum of understanding and a third-party agreement with the Dorset Park Skating Association (DPSA), and authorized the city manager to execute related documents. Councilors also discussed the timing and scope: Cairns co-manager Cooper described the renovation as replacing the floor beneath the rink and the piping that leads back to the compressor room; he said outside compressors remain in service and will not be replaced.
No additional city capital appropriation was identified during the March 17 discussion. The council approved the consent agenda unanimously during the meeting’s consent vote.
The facility managers present said the Rink 2 closure is expected to start in April and last about three months; the city and Cairns staff said they will provide scheduling and access information to arena users and partners as the work proceeds.
